Contents:

June 2014

MDH & ORHPC NEWS

Don't miss out - register now
for the 2014 Minnesota Rural Health Conference coming up June 23-24 in Duluth.

This year's conference will include sessions on partnerships, operational effectiveness, patient engagement, and tools and resources across an array of rural health care topics.

STATEWIDE QUALITY REPORTING AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
MDH, Minnesota Community Measurement and Stratis Health will hold a public forum to present final quality measure recommendations in connection with the annual update of the Statewide Quality Reporting and Measurement System. The forum will take place at MDH on June 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Final recommendations for physician clinic and hospital quality measures, forum presentations, and meeting details are available at Health Care Quality Measures–Recommendations.

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MDH released results from the 2013 hospital health information technology survey. Minnesota’s hospitals have achieved near-universal adoption of EHRs and have implemented three of four key decision-support functionalities. Hospitals’ exchange of health information technology has improved over time but is still more common with affiliated partners (65 percent) than with unaffiliated partners (56 percent). For more information about e-health assessment and evaluation in Minnesota, contact Karen Soderberg at karen.soderberg@state.mn.us or 651-201-3576.

HEALTH WORKFORCE

SNAPSHOT

Source: National Residency Matching Program, Main Residency Match: Match Results by State and Specialty, 2003-2014.

Over the past 11 years, the number of family medicine residency positions available in Minnesota has dropped over 20 percent, from a high of 96 in 2004 to the current 76 in 2014. The number of residents matched into these positions has remained relatively steady over that time, with the gap between available and filled slots narrowing as a result. In 2014, however, six family medicine residencies remained unfilled.

ORHPC GRANTS AND LOANS

Application materials for the Minnesota State Loan Repayment Program (MN SLRP) are now available. The program provides funds for repayment of qualifying educational loans of up to $20,000 annually for full-time primary care providers and up to $10,000 annually for half-time primary care providers. For 2014, an estimated 5-10 loan repayment awards will be available. Applications due by August 20.

OTHER GRANTS AND LOANS

The federal Office of Rural Health (ORHP) is accepting applications to the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program. The program supports implementation and evaluation of broad telehealth networks to deliver emergency department consultation services via telehealth to rural and community providers without emergency care specialists. Eligible applicants include rural or urban nonprofit entities that will provide tele-emergency services through a telehealth network. Applications due June 19.

Grant funds are available to community health boards and tribal governments to implement and expand Family Spirit services to American Indian communities. The funding is intended to support evidence-based home visiting with high risk populations. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding is available through an Interagency Agreement between MDH and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Letters of intent due by June 30.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is accepting applications for the Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award. The award provides an educational stipend to a small or rural hospital administrator or chief executive officer to attend an AHA Annual Meeting or Health Forum Leadership Conference. Applications due July 25.

The Healthier Minnesota Community Clinic Fund has issued a 2014 Request for Proposals seeking applications from safety net primary care providers for projects that improve access to and the quality of primary care clinical services for low-income people, communities of color, and the medically underserved. All eligible projects will be considered, but priority will be given to reproductive, dental and mental health care initiatives. Applications due September 11.

OPPORTUNITIES

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Midwest Affiliate will present a webinar, "Transitioning care for heart failure patients," on June 10 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Participant will hear innovative strategies that have successfully reduced LOS and readmissions for heart failure patients. The webinar is free but please contact Laura.Elsenety@heart.org or 248-936-5828 to register.

The Rural Health Fellows Program, a year-long, intensive leadership program of the National Rural Health Association, is accepting applications through August 31.

Stratis Health invites interested organizations to hear the results of the Targeting Resource Use Effectively (TRUE) project, a special one-year project to help eligible patients receive hospice care sooner, and to increase appropriate referrals to and utilization of hospice care. TRUE involved partners in Alexandria, Mora and Waconia and is funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) . The event will take place July 16.
For more information, contact Janelle Shearer at jshearer@stratishealth.org or 952-853-8553.

A four-part, online advanced grantwriting course, Beyond the Basics, is available through the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). The course is designed for individuals looking for rural health grantwriting education beyond the introductory or beginning level, and will begin July 10.

A variety of quality improvement (QI) tools are available through the MDH Office of Performance Improvement. The QI toolbox contains over 30 quality improvement tools and resources, including run charts, check sheets and data sources. Most tools include links for downloadable templates and/or more information.

NEWS OF OUR PARTNERS

Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC) is featured in Health IT Impact on Quality: Stories from the Field, a publication from the federal Regional Extension Centers Program. CUHCC's Clinical Services Director, Dr. Christopher Reif, explains how the After Visit Summary provided to patients has enhanced patient engagement and education.

STAFF NEWS

Kay Herzfeld joins ORHPC as the new Emerging Professions Coordinator, part of the State Innovations Model (SIM) grant project. She will be managing two grant programs, working closely with emerging profession stakeholders, and coordinating with other SIM grant staff in MDH and DHS. Kay joins us from MDH's Compliance Monitoring Division. Contact Kay at kay.herzfeld@state.mn.us or 651-201-3846.

ORHPC director Mark Schoenbaum was honored with a "2014 Friends of EMS" Award, presented by Regions Hospital to community partners who have advocated for pre-hospital care.

The Minnesota Partnership for Adolescent Health will hold a southwest regional community meeting on August 14 in Madison, Minnesota to provide feedback on the state’s vision for adolescent health and to identify barriers and actions needed.

National Health Center Week will be observed August 10-16 and this year is themed "Celebrating America's Health Centers: Local Engines for Healthier Communities."

The Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs (MACMHP) 2014 conference, Thriving Through Change, will take place September 16-19 in Duluth.

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Our mission To promote access to quality health care for all Minnesotans. We work as partners with policymakers, providers, and rural and underserved urban communities to ensure a continuum of core health services throughout the state.